Dehydrogenated polyspiroheptadiene

Abstract

Dehydrogenated poly(spiro[2,4]hepta-4,6-diene) which is insoluble in organic solvents, has an electrical conductivity of at least 10 -10 S×cm -1 , and contains, relative to the total number of recurring structural units in the polymer, 0-90 mol % of the recurring structural units of the formulae I and II ##STR1## in which R 1 is in each case a hydrogen atom or an alkyl group having 1 to 4 C atoms, and 10-100 mol % of at least one of the recurring structural units of the formulae III to VI ##STR2## in which R 1 is as defined in formula I or II and X - is a bromide or iodide ion or an anion of a Lewis or protonic acid, is obtained by treating poly(spiro[2,4]-hepta-4,6-diene) with bromine, iodine or a Lewis or proton-donating acid, and can be used in an electrically conducting material for the production of, for example, conductors, electrodes, batteries or semiconductor components.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A dehydrogenated poly(spiro[2,4]hepta-4,6-diene) which is insoluble in organic solvents having an electrical conductivity of at least 10 -1  Sxcm -1 , and containing, relative to the total number of recurring structural units in the polymer, 0-90 mol % of the recurring structural units of the formulae I and II ##STR11## in which R 1  is in each case a hydrogen atom or an alkyl group having 1 to 4 C atoms, and 10-100 mol % of at least one of the recurring structural units of the formulae III to VI ##STR12## in which R 1  is as defined in formula I or II and X -  is a bromide or iodide ion or an anion of a Lewis or protonic acid. 
     
     
       2. A dehydrogenated poly(spiro[2,4]hepta-4,6-diene) according to claim 1, containing 0-80 mol % of the recurring structural units of the formulae I and II and 20-100 mol% of at least one of the recurring structural units of the formulae III to VI. 
     
     
       3. A dehydrogenated poly(spiro[2,4]hepta-4,6-diene) according to claim 1, containing 0-50 mol % of the recurring structural units of the formulae I and II and 50-100 mol % of at least one of the recurring structural units of the formulae III to VI. 
     
     
       4. A process for the preparation of dehydrogenated poly(spiro[2,4]hepta-4,6-diene) which is insoluble in organic solvents and contains the recurring structural units of the formulae I to VI according to claim 1, which comprises treating a poly(spiro[2,4]hepta-4,6-diene) having an average molecular weight of 5×10 2  to 10 6  with bromine, iodine, Lewis acids or protonic acids as oxidizing agents, in such a way that at least 10 mol % of the total recurring structural units of the formula I and II are converted into conjugated recurring structural units of the formulae III to VI according to claim 1. 
     
     
       5. A process according to claim 4, wherein the oxidizing agent used is iodine or a Lewis acid. 
     
     
       6. A process according to claim 4, wherein the oxidizing agent used is iodine.